General News
Activists Turn to Bitcoin for #EndSARS Protests as Banks Shut Them Out

As protests surge through Nigeria in response to police brutality, one enclave of protestors has turned to bitcoin as a financial lifeline during turbulent times, according to CoinDesk.

The Feminist Coalition’s bank account was shuttered this month after its involvement in the End SARS protests came to light, according to a person familiar but unaffiliated with the group who asked to be identified as Emma (a pseudonym).
End SARS is a movement in Nigeria to abolish the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), a subdivision of the police force with a track record of abusing and harassing citizens.
Cast out of the traditional system, the Feminist Coalition is now raising donations in bitcoin.
The #EndSARS protests
The Feminist Coalition was founded in July with a mission to “champion equality for women in Nigerian society with core focuses of education, financial freedom, and representation in public office.”
With the outbreak of protests against police brutality this month, the group has concentrated on providing medical care, legal aid and even funeral funding for those participating in the peaceful demonstrations.
Since the protests surfaced in the beginning of October, 10 Nigerians have died at the hands of police, according to CNN.
As of Oct. 16, the Feminist Coalition has collected a total of 69,891,637.15 naira (a couple bucks shy of $185,000), 15,443,280.00 of which ($40,000) has been deployed to aid 128 protests across the country, according to the coalition’s website.
Bitcoin and censorship-resistant fundraising
All of this fundraising attracted the attention of authorities, though, and they were shut out of Flutterwave, the payments platform and something of a virtual bank they used to process donations.
At press time, Flutterwave had not returned CoinDesk’s request for comment.
That’s when they turned to alternatives.
“Quite a few members of the group work in tech,” so they made the decision to use bitcoin as another payment option, said Emma.
They started by using Sendcash, a platform which converts bitcoin payments into naira and then deposits these funds into a recipient’s Nigerian bank account.
The service is intuitive and highly useful, but it carries the risk that banks will almost certainly sniff out the source of the Feminist Coalition’s funds and shut down its accounts again.
The coalition no longer uses Sendcash because of this likely outcome.
But they still accept bitcoin: Alex Gladstein, chief strategy officer of the Human Rights Organization, set them up with a BTCPay Server.
Emma called the self-hosted payment process “a safer wallet” compared to other options.
Because it operates obliquely to the banking system, the censorship-resistant payment portal is an essential tool for the Feminist Coalition’s fundraising, Gladstein told CoinDesk.
“I would say BTCPay is important because it protects the privacy of donors and prevents the government from easily figuring out what service the protestors are using to cash out their bitcoin into naira,” he said.
Since adding the BTCPay bitcoin donation option on Oct. 14, the coalition has amassed roughly 3.14 BTC (~$36,000).
Bigger than Bitcoin
As CoinDesk has reported previously, Nigerians are no strangers to how the Bitcoin system lets them move money in the shadows of the legacy financial system.
Some Nigerian expats, for instance, use the Paxful exchange to send remittance funds back home, while others use bitcoin to trade directly with China.
More germane to the recent protests against police brutality, others have even used Bitcoin as an unconfiscatible bank account to avoid police shakedowns for cash. As though they see the writing on the wall, the Nigerian government is also spinning up a digital version of the naira.
Still, Emma said that bitcoin is “not popular among the masses yet at all. There are large barriers mostly in terms of education. However, a lot of young Nigerians are now starting to adopt cryptocurrency and it’s growing across the population.”
Further, the Feminist Coalition’s successful fundraising using bitcoin sheds “some positive light on cryptocurrency,” she says, and promotional efforts by Binance in Nigeria are also softening Bitcoin stigma in the country.
Of course, Bitcoin is only one tool in Nigeria’s fight for civil rights – it is not a cure – all for its citizens. What’s really needed is concrete reform.
Nigerians have been protesting as far back as 2016, Emma said, for SARS’ abolition and for police reform. It wasn’t until the most recent bout of unrest beginning in October that the government acquiesced to the protestors’ demands and formally disbanded SARS.
To many Nigerians, though, this is merely political theatre, and they expect SARS abuses to migrate to one of the new task forces that the government is forming to take its place.
That’s why the protests haven’t stopped, Emma said, “because [Nigerians] want to see actual change in terms of police reform.”
With SARS now abolished, though, the protesters’ something-of-a-victory has left Emma hopeful. Not necessarily that things will immediately change, but that the Nigerian people, collectively, are beginning to “wake up” to the government’s abuses.
There’s more activity now than ever pressing for change, she said, and that’s something to be thankful for.
“We’re very tired of the lies and deceit, and there’s a widespread consciousness and awakening among young Nigerians right now that many are saying they’ve never seen before. I know I’ve never seen it before and I’m so relieved that it’s finally here.”
General News
FG Orders Installation of 5000 CCTV Cameras for Surveillance in Plateau

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate installation of 5,000 CCTV cameras across identified flashpoints in Plateau State as part of urgent measures to address the worsening security situation in the state.

The President gave the directive during an emergency visit to Plateau on Thursday, where he held a brief stakeholders’ meeting at the Yakubu Gowon Airport following the recent killings in Angwan Rukuba, Jos, where at least 28 persons were killed by unidentified gunmen.
Tinubu also approved the formation of a delegation of key stakeholders to engage in further deliberations on lasting solutions to the security challenges in the state.
He condoled with families of the victims and directed that support be provided to cushion their losses.
President Bola Tinubu while expressing deep sympathy to families of victims said the installation of surveillance cameras was part of a deliberate move towards addressing the kind of attacks that befell residence of the recent attack in the State.
In his remarks, Governor Caleb Mutfwang appreciated the President’s visit and show of concern, but expressed worry over the recent wave of attacks in the state, describing the situation as disturbing and requiring urgent attention.
The meeting had in attendance, former Governors, serving and former National and State Assembly members, traditional rulers, government appointees as well as relatives of those killed in the Angwan Rukuba attack.
General News
FG Rolls Out N12Bn Digital Research Clusters to Boost Innovation Economy

Federal Government yesterday unveiled a N12 billion investment in digital economy research, marking a strategic shift towards knowledge-driven development as Nigeria positions itself as a key player in the global digital landscape.

Declaring the launch of the National Digital Economy Research Clusters under the Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE) project, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said the initiative mobilises over 200 researchers from universities and research institutions nationwide to produce data-driven solutions for pressing national challenges.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Tijani described the programme as an essential complement to infrastructure expansion, including the ongoing deployment of 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable across the country.
He stressed that sustainable growth in the digital sector now hinges on robust research, innovation and evidence-based policies rather than infrastructure alone.
“As Nigeria expands its digital economy, attention is shifting from infrastructure to the knowledge that drives it,” the minister stated, adding that the sector was emerging as a major contributor to national GDP.
The research clusters will tackle critical areas including connectivity, digital public infrastructure, skills development, job creation, online safety and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Tijani explained that the project aims to bolster Nigeria’s research capacity while ensuring local insights guide policy and technology adoption.
The Federal Ministry of Education is collaborating to synchronise academic research with national priorities and advance specialised training.
Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, underscored universities’ evolving role as hubs of innovation and problem-solving beyond traditional learning.
The BRIDGE project aligns with broader government strategies to promote digital inclusion, spur economic growth and elevate Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
Observers note that the programme’s impact will depend on effectively converting research findings into implementable policies across sectors.
For the administration, the message is clear: a resilient digital economy demands not just infrastructure, but the intelligence to power it.
General News
Myitura Launches Women-Focused Healthcare Financing Solutions to Bridge Access Gap

In commemoration of Women’s Month, health-tech platform Myitura has released a new white paper addressing the critical gaps in healthcare financing for women in Nigeria.

Titled “Closing the Gap: Healthcare Financing for Women in Nigeria,” the report highlights how high out-of-pocket costs, limited insurance coverage, and socio-economic factors continue to prevent women from accessing timely healthcare.
According to the report, over 70% of healthcare expenses in Nigeria are paid out-of-pocket, disproportionately affecting women who often delay care due to financial and social constraints.
“When women can afford to take care of their health early, we don’t just save lives; we strengthen families, communities, and the economy,” said Chialuka Kelechi, MyItura’s Chief of Staff.
Key Insights from the White Paper:
- Preventable conditions often escalate due to delayed care
- Women are more likely to deprioritize their own health
- Affordable, structured healthcare financing can significantly improve outcomes
Introducing a Women’s Health Initiative
As part of its commitment, Myitura is launching affordable women-focused health packages (powered by Mediloan), starting at ₦58,180, designed to encourage preventive care and early detection.
The package provides access to:
- Fasting/Random Blood Sugar
- Urinalysis
- Electrolytes
- Urea
- Creatinine
- Pap Smear Submitted slides
- HIV I & II Rapid (Qualitative)
- Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Screening (Rapid)
- Hepatitis C Virus Screening (Rapid)
- Abdominopelvic Ultrasound
- Ongoing support via the Myitura platform
Access:
Women can access these packages by downloading the Myitura app, which makes healthcare more accessible and convenient.
Myitura is a health-tech platform focused on improving access to healthcare through financing, technology, and preventive care solutions.
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